Walking Through Treacle
by Angel of the North
Summary: Birds Get Laid. Vignette X now up
1. I to VIII

Walking through treacle  
  
Fawkes watched sadly as Zeus soared into the Great Hall, more like a hawk than an owl in his response to his fellow post-birds. He picked out his blond owner unerringly, leaving exactly what was required, and nothing else. An equal, no less, to the magnificent phoenix, and indeed one might even say his superior. If one was a Malfoy, that is, and being very insulting.  
  
Zeus barely noticed him - it was as if he were invisible. And he wasn't, last time he checked. He was sure he'd lifted the charm. The phoenix lifted his head, afraid to sing in case it should scare away Zeus. Although how such a beautiful fellow avian could fail to be pure in heart. He, surely, couldn't be so much like his master, at least in that respect.  
  
Unaware of the attentions of the love-lorn, the Eagle Owl lifted off, dive- bombing that idiotic elf owl belonging to the Weasley brat. The fluff ball hid under his human's robes, while Zeus left with a disdainful smirk. Lady Hedwig had come to join Fawkes, and was preening him fussily, in a way that no one else had done since he was hatched, rather than simply burning. Her white feathers didn't show his fiery plumage to its best - that was left for the black owls. He let her fuss over him, knowing her devotion to her owner. She was good company, even if she was a bit of a gossip. For all that some of the girls were inclined to swoon over the peroxide-headed ponce, he'd recommend the gentle Harry Potter, rather than the would be Byronic heroes.  
  
But that didn't help him with his own Byronic hero. Zeus was still in the hall, apparently gazing at Hedwig. She ruffled her feathers proudly, daring him to flirt with her. Fawkes was surprised when he inclined his head to them both, and flew off. So surprised in fact, that he fell off his perch. Of course, Zeus wasn't a mere post-bird - he was like his namesake - a God among mere mortals, and that he should deign to notice Fawkes! The phoenix hadn't felt this vulnerable since - well, his last burning day was only a few weeks ago. Didn't Dumbledore realise how embarrassed he was without feathers. And how he'd like to sulk in the privacy of his ashes for a few days, instead of being prodded and poked solicitously.  
  
He'd turned on the invisibility charm as soon as he'd fallen of course, and popped up again on Albus' shoulder. He could *feel* the omniscient twinkle, and just knew that THAT little display hadn't gone unnoticed. He felt like he was about to burn up with embarrassment. All he needed was some gentle teasing from Albus and he would go up in a fit of sparks.  
  
It was Snape, suprisingly, who rescued him. "Mind if I borrow him, Albus?" The relief was short-lived though. "I'm sure I can persuade him to weep over that Owl."  
  
---ooo---  
The invisibility charm could be useful. Fawkes couldn't very well go into the Owlery - unlike Zeus, he emphatically wasn't a post-bird -without a bit of help from an invisibility charm, or very good reason.  
  
Sometimes it had been to talk to Lady Hedwig. She was a very beautiful lady, and some of the others said she had designs on him. She and he both said it was rubbish, it was merely a matter of prudent familiar liaison. Her human had needed him more than once.  
  
Generally they met on the Astronomy tower - she liked to have the latest gossip for the other owls, and no bird in their right mind would voluntarily go to the tower, busy as it was with humans. He liked to go there - well he maintained it was a good place to practice his singing. If they had less than honourable intentions, then the young humans would run.  
  
Zeus' human had come up there often, but never with a female. Usually he hid, something Fawkes didn't understand. After all, a well trained bird never looked in on a couple of amorous humans, and equally hoped that the humans would forgive their own indiscretions. If they ever found out.  
  
Unfortunately Albus always did. Bloody omniscient owners - he knew what Fawkes was thinking before Fawkes even thought it. And, as if that wasn't enough, he'd tell Severus. Oh, he liked the boy well enough, always needing to be rescued at least 3 times a week in high season. usually from the Elder Blond's mansion. That was how he'd met Zeus the first time.  
  
Albus never says anything. He just teased him about his taste in black strangers, suggesting he should find another phoenix, settle down, have a nestling. More than once he wondered if he should engineer a delivery to Severus, just so he could fly wing tip to wing tip with that gorgeous creature.  
  
The problem was that everyone knew Phoenixes were never mere post birds and he couldn't just pop up like that. Oh, he'd love to brush feathers with Zeus, but it had to be realistic. He was not going to act like a silly hatchling. He was going to play it cool, perhaps preen himself casually. And he was not going to make a fool of himself over Lucius' Malfoy's owl.  
  
Lady Hedwig came over, and they talked for a while. He thinks she's got him down as the gay best friend that every female post-owl. It's too confusing. It's hard enough to tell male and female apart as it is.  
  
He's sitting on a turret now, not far from his home. Zeus is leaving the building, apparently on an errand, and Fawkes takes to the wing, wishing, just for once, they could dance, beak to beak, or walk easily on solid ground. Wheeling round he curses his short turning circle, and glides over the flight path of the black owl. Somewhere below him, a dark cry prevents his song.  
  
---ooo---  
  
It's all very well, Albus telling Fawkes to go and find a nice lady phoenix. He neglects the fact that the only one in near range is 500 burn- days old, has a face like a pickled onion, and doesn't like him. She also happens to be residing with one of Hagrid's chums.  
  
They sit together, bird and head master, looking out over the grounds. He tells him the latest news - how Minerva really does not get along with Sirius when the pair are in Animagus form, and the latest on the Elf Liberation Front. Miss Granger fails to understand that they choose to be devoted to Albus - the Elves, Severus, Fawkes, and others. They want that guidance, that gentle authority. Severus joins them presently, muttering darkly about some half-cocked plan the Muggle Studies students are cocking up. "No sense of style," he says, neglecting the fact that frock coats are so 1981 Village People.  
  
He takes in the familiar composition. "Build a nest for thy broken heart, Fawkes? Or do you want a potion to take that ache away?"  
  
"Now Severus." The three plot, independently of one another, unaware of the intentions of the other two. Severus leaves around midnight - Fawkes can never think of him as a professor capable of looking after himself, when he's seen him bawling in relief, strapped to my tail-feathers, after yet another death-defying rescue."  
  
"Now, Fawkes, you won't embarrass the poor boy." Chuckling, he goes to his rooms. Bloody Omniscient owners.  
  
He extracts his revenge beautifully, appearing in the midst of the potions lab. I was being tugged there quite violently, and found young Harry on the floor. I shouldn't cry so easily - I wouldn't want Zeus thinking I was some effete aesthete. But I cant help it. Invisible of course, I perch on Harry, before chancing onto Severus shoulder, and re-appearing. His scowl was such a thing of beauty, and I tweak his hair, preening him like a chick.  
  
"For once, Fawkes, I wish you would keep your bloody tail-feathers out of my business. You can go to Hell!"  
  
"Surely it'd be a second childhood for him, sir?" The Malfoy child speaks. Severus snorted.  
  
"You think I'd poison the boy, do you? Or has Albus stepped up the patrols to hourly instead of nightly." Fawkes catches his game, and joins in, pecking him, re-arranging his hair - it would look so lovely if he'd just let the bird tidy it.  
  
Fading out, Fawkes returns to Albus shoulder, leaving the potter boy to his fate. He tugs my heart-strings so often these days. Unlike Severus, it is seldom the battle external that warrants my attention.  
  
It's fine and dandy Albus talking about what faithful pets they make, but what Fawkes would really like is to get laid occasionally, and not in the egg sense. Lifting to the Owlery, he tells Hedwig the news, leaving her in quite a flap. Zeus isn't there - he must be hunting. Fawkes sits on his perch, just for a minute.  
---ooo---  
  
'I'm sorry Fawkes.' Falling back into his ashes, Fawkes fixed Severus with a beady eye. Those were the sort of words you stored for posterity. "I shouldn't have teased you about nesting in Albus' beard. Pax?" Admittedly, this was after a reign of terror lasting 3 weeks, in which Fawkes had, helpfully, appeared at every opportunity, singing invisibly in order to annoy certain students, and generally making a sweet nuisance of himself. Severus knew when he was beaten. One does not cross an independently-minded phoenix very often. Fawkes gently ruffled his feathers, and then preened Severus. "And I'm sorry I teased you about Zeus. Would you like me to fix up a date for you? Arrange for you both to be making deliveries." At the haughty head toss Severus fixed him.  
  
"You can turn your back on me all you like, but I know how you birds operate. I've watched that flying snowball crack onto you often enough." He didn't choose to understand Fawkes' "We're just friends" that he sang rather loudly. "And you want to crack onto Zeus." He sighed. "I know I can't stop you. But be careful."  
  
He rested his head against the human's forehead, which Severus took to be a gesture of affection, but was in reality a quick health check, in case phoenix senses hadn't detected some sort of Snape-threatening malady called "milk of human kindness."  
  
Slowly Fawkes rose up, shaking off the ashes, and then sitting on Severus' shoulder, singing beautifully. The two relaxed, Fawkes enjoying the fine brandy that Severus had placed in a phoenix friendly snifter on the table.  
  
Severus started to talk, as was his wont, to the bird, who listened intently, head cocked on one side. Severus was worried about Draco, worried about all his house, and the bird seemed to invite confidence. Unusually though, the bird would sing a couple of notes as Severus took a drink, thus multiplying the effect of the song.  
  
Severus himself didn't notice, though perhaps at another time he would have been intrigued at the interaction of the two intoxicants. However daft he was about Zeus, he wasn't daft enough to make himself a lab rat for one of those potions experiments in order to get some quality time.  
  
It was a measure of how much Severus had relaxed that he was able to talk about the Potter boy without a trace of rancour. Harry had reported his visions to Severus as well as Albus, and the two were uniquely able to use them. Twice now, Fawkes had found his heart-strings tugged at by Severus, needed his song, and usually getting tears as well. He cries to easily, that's his problem. Severus doesn't cry enough.  
  
Fawkes watches as Severus falls asleep to a phoenix lullaby, peaceful for the first time in months, daring Zeus to disturb him with a message from the blonde one. But for the first time, it's not Severus that Zeus goes to. Silently, as the song ends, he greets Fawkes.  
  
---ooo---  
  
Fawkes returned to the study, unsure of himself. He wasn't sure what Albus would say to him, and so went for the safest option, and buried himself in some ashes.  
  
"You want sackcloth with that?" Albus came over, and stroked his head, all the time making silly sympathetic noises that sounded more like a broody chicken that any sensible bird.  
  
Fawkes shook his head, semi-deliberately covering Albus' beard with ash and phoenix droppings. It was his own stupid fault, not cleaning out the tray. He might be a gentle bird, but he wasn't above making a gentle point.  
  
Albus sighed. "I can't clear it out if you're bathing your misery in it." If Fawkes had been human, the scowl on his face couldn't have been clearer.  
  
With his hands Albus picked up the contents of the tray, bird included, and dumped them on newspaper. With his wand he muttered a few cleaning charms, and then soothed the ruffled dignity of the phoenix.  
  
Fawkes didn't see the point in telling him. He already knew, if that wasn't humiliation enough. This was simply an exercise from "Bonding with your pet: How to help your phoenix."  
  
It had been a disaster. Zeus had come to sit with him, and they'd sat with Severus as he slept, phoenix tears occasionally running into the partly open mouth. He looked so sweet when he snored. Fawkes had been embarrassed, but passed it off as Lachrymitis. Zeus had then asked him about himself, and Fawkes had found himself telling him how he was sick of getting tugs on his heartstrings all the time, and how he just wanted some time to himself. Zeus had asked how the phoenix charms worked, and then, just as Fawkes thought it was going really well, and had worked up the courage to ask him something, Zeus had announced his intention of leaving.  
  
As he remembered, he buried his head in Albus' beard, ashamed to think of himself. He'd begged the Eagle Owl not to go, and Zeus had merely said that he was a free bird, coming and going as he wished. Fawkes had bit back a retort, and then wished he hadn't. He was only a stupid Post-Owl. If the Blond ones wanted a delivery, then Zeus had to go. If that wasn't enough, he'd found himself tugged away. Some kid was on the Fifth Tower, and needed company. Fawkes wasn't sure how she'd got there, but she cried into his neck, sobbing about how she didn't know what to do.  
  
One of Severus's nestlings, with the green and silver robes, he was sure. He sat there, letting her cry into his neck, telling him how her father was a Voldemort supporter, but she didn't want to take the mark. Zeus' cry echoed as he wheeled into the sky, free as he pleased, and ready for the hunt. Fawkes ignored it, and focused on the girl, letting her cries echo with his, and their tears mingle as she hugged him.  
  
---ooo---  
  
Fawkes didn't know what to think. The girl had hung onto him as if he was a prize turkey until she reached Albus' study, and then handed him over.  
  
"I brought your phoenix back, Professor Dumbledore." Fawkes played along, letting himself be placed on his stand by Albus, as if he couldn't have got there himself. The girl's tears ran down her face, and she told Albus how she'd been approached, and when she'd refused, her grandfather had had his shoulder blade broken. They'd sent her a pensieve with it in, and she'd gone up to the fifth tower, because no one used it. Severus came in, and gently took the girl to the hospital wing. Fawkes was there by the time the two Slytherins had reached it, in full invisibility mode.  
  
He gave her a sleeping draught and returned to the study, leaving Fawkes to watch over her until morning. He rubbed his head against her hand, letting her hand run down his back. She dozed easily, and he stood by her until morning, waking her up by tickling her toes with his tail-feathers.  
  
He picked up her robes in his beak, and handed them over, letting her get dressed before her head of house came in. Severus was evidently shaken by events, and his arm was giving him pain. As he took over, Fawkes noticed that Zeus was on the windowsill, and went over to him.  
  
Severus continued to talk with her, and Zeus continued to listen, before nodding and leaving. Fawkes flew after him, and they soared, wing-tip to wing-tip, with Zeus making a strange screeching sound. They alighted on the top of the astronomy tower, where they talked Zeus abandoning his usual solitary behaviour. Fawkes wasn't sure he wasn't imagining it, but when Zeus started to groom him gently he surrendered to this feeling of heaven. To begin with, Zeus was gentle, running his beak over Fawkes body, letting the phoenix enjoy himself over the feeling of feather against feather. Stroking the talons, Fawkes responded in kind, letting Zeus know how much he was appreciated. Gradually it got more serious - Zeus was more insistent, while Fawkes simply acquiesced, letting the owl mate with him, feeling the pleasure run through him.  
  
Afterwards Fawkes felt rather bereft. Zeus had flown off, leaving the phoenix alone, and wondering what had happened. As if that wasn't humiliation enough, he realised that one of the telescopes had been trained on them the whole time, and even now there were probably students laughing at him. His head drooped forlornly, and he left the tower, not daring to look and see who had born witness to his affections.  
  
Flying in through a window, he alighted in Severus' dungeons, and let the tears fall. Severus said nothing, simply placing a petri dish under him, and letting it catch the tears, not really sure what you say to a disconsolate phoenix who's just had the best (probably only) sex of his life. Fawkes felt used.  
  
---ooo---  
  
When Zeus came back the next day, Fawkes was somewhat surprised, and turned his back on the Eagle Owl. Severus had collected the tears for a potion he was making, and then they'd sat together, talking about the Malfoys, and about Potions and Harry Potter. Fawkes had let Severus preen him, not caring about his bedraggled state. The potions master had just sat there, and let the bird be miserable. To be honest, Severus didn't know what to do, as he lacked the psychic connection that Albus had.  
  
Severus had suggested he turn on the invisibility, and then they'd done their nightly rounds of the dungeons, checking that all the Slytherins were in. The girl was still in the hospital wing, and they'd gone up there afterwards. The infamous Snape insomnia was still there, and he sat by the girl's bed, in a desperate sort of silence. He fingered the mark on his arm, a scowl on his face that belied any other emotions that might be there. The girl had been crying, but now was sleeping soundly. The tear tracks still ran down her face, and her bed was ruffled. Severus was on the bed opposite, elbows on knees, head resting on hands, hair falling to screen his face.  
  
Fawkes realised rapidly that the only reason that he wasn't being tugged elsewhere was the overwhelming need for him to be here. Harry Potter was brought in a couple of hours later, blood oozing from the scar, and laid down on another bed, screened off from Severus and the girl. Albus, the fiery boy and the walking nest are with him, unaware of the presence of Severus. The tabby cat in the corner knows he's there, and she rubs up against his ankles.  
  
Harry comes to again, and sits up, his face pale. Fawkes drifts over, resting his head on the boy's chin, and letting Albus speak.  
  
"Another nightmare, Harry?" He nods. Severus and the tabby cat are by the screen, listening. "What happened?" Words tumbled out, describing events at the Malfoy house, the anger of Voldemort, something about a girl, a rat. Images began to build of what had gone on, of what had happened to Zeus, and what exactly was going on at the Malfoys' house that evening.  
  
Harry asks for Sirius and Fawkes is deputed to find him, if humanly possible. Fawkes sighs, and misses the next bit, having as he does a dog hanging on the end of his tail as he flies back to the hospital wing. Severus and The Cat carry on watching by, saying nothing, identical scowls deepening at the presence of the large black dog, albeit for different reasons. Finally all are chased away, except for the cat, the dog, the children and the potions professor. The phoenix returns with Albus, who wisely makes no mention of where his pet phoenix was the previous night. He merely thanks the bird for his presence, and gives him some sweet herbs to nibble at.  
  
---ooo---  
  
Fawkes was distinctly chilly towards Zeus that day. For a bird of fire, he had a very cold shoulder. Zeus followed him with those vacant owl eyes of his, looking about as stupid as an owl gets. Fawkes couldn't work out for the life of him what he'd ever seen in that lump of pillow-stuffing.  
  
The girl was still in the hospital wing. She'd caught a mild chill from being outside, and Severus had thought it wise that she have a couple more days to recover before having to face her common room again.  
  
Lady Hedwig was talking to Fawkes again. He hadn't told her about the incident on the Astronomy Tower. Surprisingly it wasn't the talk of the common rooms - Fred and George Weasley had arranged for there to be a more spectacular incident which had resulted in a number of particularly prominent slytherins finding themselves shrunk and impotent. There was a modest time-delay on the spell, activated by the heart-rate of the individual. The more worked up the Slytherin got, the longer they would stay diminutive. Severus had taken points off them, while being secretly proud that they had studied quite so diligently.  
  
Fawkes had gone to him later that evening, and sat watching as the professor had prepared potion upon potion, methodical and mechanical, repeating simple potions rather than wrestling with anything that would take too much of his attention.  
  
Albus had said nothing about the incident with Zeus, but when Fawkes found himself summoned to the study, he found himself in the company of the black bird.  
  
Zeus was not his immaculate self. He wobbled on one leg, somewhat uncharacteristically he seemed to be nervous, and lacking in his usual poise. His feathers were ruffled and he was partly soaked in what appeared to be an oil-slick.  
  
Fawkes pointedly turned his back, and was about to sing, when he realised he couldn't. His throat felt like it had been stoppered shut, and he was completely without voice. He could only talk - forgetting that phoenix-song is not something to be used in the hope that it shames someone, more that it is something beautiful in itself.  
  
Zeus didn't come forward, just looking at Fawkes. Eventually he hopped to the arm of the chair nearest to the perch, and bowed his head. He told Fawkes what had happened, whether Fawkes wanted to hear it or not. The phoenix didn't turn round, but became a little less stiff towards the other bird, feeling somewhat ashamed that he hadn't asked the owl what had happened.  
  
For his part, Zeus had been taken down a peg or two. Privately Severus and Albus had thought he needed reminding that he was only an owl and not an eagle, even if he was a magnificent example of the former. He apologized to Fawkes, who turned round, and rubbed his head against the soft feathers of the owl. Forgiven, the two flew out of the owl-loops, and into the face of the rising moon.  
  
---ooo---  
Author's Notes:  
  
This series started as a plot capybara from Slytherincess, in her Muggle Studies series of stories. She mentioned Fawkes mooning over the Malfoy owl, whom I have christened Zeus (Greek God most commonly associated with Snakes and Eagles).  
  
The title is a sly dig at the titles like "taking flight" where humans are hungry for flight. I imagined that the birds would love to be able to walk along the ground normally and easily, less hindered by things like gin traps and so on. Treacle - because Fawkes adores treacle (Dumbledore's fault) but can't eat it, because his beak gets stuck together.  
  
Some birds are notoriously hard to sex - there are recorded cases of long term gay bird partnerships, notably 2 penguins at new york zoo. Fawkes doesn't know exactly what he is. He's very fond of Harry, Snape and Dumbledore. Zeus is his weak spot.  
  
It will be posted as a series of 500 word vignettes on my LJ, and on Astronomy Tower if it gets through. [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic]  
  
[pic][pic][pic][pic][pic] 


	2. IX

Fawkes perches in the Headmaster's office, listening to the plan. The girl is there again, Severus' nestling, as is Harry, Severus himself, and the dog and cat. The pets opt to remain pets for the time being - neither is to be trusted in human form, it seems, although animal form would appear to be scarcely better. 

Severus seems frail today, a side effect from his latest potions brewing. Fawkes wills himself to cry, and the drops fall down his spine, barely noticed, save for an unbending and a sigh. 

Albus smiles at him, and lets in Zeus, who is spruce once more, and bearing a letter. Hedwig is beside him, bearing a letter for Harry, and another for the dog, who is handed his by the boy. Harry describes his last vision, which Zeus confirms to Fawkes, and thus to the assembled company. Severus stands close by his nestling as she shakes, first in fear, and then in anger. He dares not touch her, but lets her stand near him, willing someone else to know what to do as well as he, but not wishing to comfort her in the presence of strangers. 

She could have been his child, and the rage that emanates from him could be no greater than that which he shows now at the proposed violation of any one of his students. The Dog moves far away, as does the cat, both knowing the likelihood of their being a target for misplaced rage. Zeus sits by Fawkes, a warm companion in a chilly room. Lady Hedwig takes the other side, and with an unladylike shove, Zeus is dominoed off the perch, to the amusement of those present. Albus mutters under his breath, and the perch is extended, allowing the three to sit comfortably. Harry commands Lady Hedwig's presence, and she flies to his shoulder. He says something that only Albus catches, and sends her back, head stiff, and ever so slightly ruffled, to sit beside Fawkes once again. 

She sits apart from the lovers, apparently unaffected by them, and focuses on the headmaster. Albus, now having the attention of the company, explains what may happen. Severus' head is bowed, taking it in without apparent emotion. That Zeus can have his memories stripped of him is a problem, casting obliviate' on an owl is not really an option. Fawkes would be somewhat upset by the measures that the Malfoys might take to reclaim the information. In agreement, Fawkes grooms the feathers of Zeus, who reciprocates gently. If Hedwig were human, she would be folding her arms and whistling. As it is, she merely taps her foot in a manner not dissimilar to the Dog's, as if somewhat impatient. Severus has said nothing, his face white and drawn. The pets finally are allowed to transform, Sirius standing next to Harry, Minerva moving towards Albus, and it is Black who asks the question the others are thinking. 

"Professor Dumbledore. Exactly what are you proposing we do?" 

Albus merely grimaces. 


	3. X

"If you'll excuse me, I need to talk to my phoenix." Fawkes had been hoping that Albus wouldn't notice him. He'd slunk in through the owl-loops and to his feeding dish, knowing full well that Albus wanted to talk to him, desperately wishing to avoid the embarrassment.  
  
Draco and Pansy left the study, wondering why the proud phoenix had his head buried in a trough of something green and herbaceous. Mostly they just looked at each other, slightly embarrassed by the words that Professor Dumbledore had shared with them.  
  
"No Zeus this evening? He seems to be getting to be quite a fixture on your perch. I may have to make that extension permanent." Fawkes stopped eating, nearly choking on his coriander. "Now, I'm sure that I don't need to tell you about the bees, and you're already a bird, but I think we need to talk." The food that was covering his head vanished, and Fawkes found himself looking into the deep blue eyes of his mentor.  
  
"I'm sure I don't need to tell you that Zeus is welcome here any time. But there are certain - precautions - that I hope you're taking." Here he paused. "I'm sure he's a very nice bird, but have you considered the fact that you mate for life when you do mate. I won't enquire further into the progress of your relationship. That is entirely a matter of your own concern. But I will say, as I said to Pansy and Draco, that my door is always open, and that I would hope that you would let me help you." Fawkes stares him out, Albus refusing to engage, and twinkling in that irritating manner that he has until the phoenix bows his head.  
  
"I know that this treads somewhat on your sensibilities, but I would ask that you hear me out." Another pause. "Fawkes! You will listen to me. Zeus is a Malfoy owl, not through choice, but bound through dark and ancient magics. You know that Lucius can tear out his memories should he choose. My precious, precious friend. I do not distrust your soul mate, but I would never wish to see you sorrowful through the designs of another human being." It had been a week since Emily Lawson had brought him to the study, and he still had nightmares about the scenes that Zeus had described. Mostly they'd found solace in each other's feathers, but even now, Fawkes had to admit to himself what Lucius Malfoy could do to his beloved bird.  
  
"Might I also suggest, as I said to the children, that you are somewhat more circumspect in your displays of affection. It does you no credit to display such an intimate act in such a public manner." Albus would bring up that incident on the swing. He did have a point though. Being caught by a bunch of first years had left Severus Snape with quite a headache when his Slytherins had finished with him.  
  
"Highly Faithful Pests." Indeed.  
  
---oOo---  
  
A/N: This chapter ties in with Chapter VI of Muggle Studies, by Slytherincess. The two run in parallel, although they are independently written.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers, here and elsewhere. I really do appreciate what is written for me on this. The next few chapters will probably have something of the following: Severus reading a letter from Remus about some points deductions. (See Muggle Studies for the full effect) While Fawkes is observing, of course Emily Lawson. (/me likes her) Some action scenes More Fawkes/Zeus. More disgruntled Hedwig.  
  
If there are any particular requests, please let me know in reviews. Author Alerts are enabled on this a/c.  
  
AotN 


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